National School Breakfast Week to be observed March 5-9

National School Breakfast Week, an observance meant to increase awareness of the availability of the federal School Breakfast Program, will be held from March 5 to 9 this year.

Research has shown students who eat breakfast score better on tests, have fewer health issues and are better behaved, says a press release from the Kentucky Department of Education. In Kentucky, about 190,000 students eat breakfast at school each day, which represents about 30 percent of public school enrollment, said spokeswoman Lisa Gross. The numbers are not broken down by district.

Schools are encouraged to participate in a spirit contest whose winners will be given a certificate of excellence by Kentucky Education Commissioner Terry Holliday. Schools can plan festivities and then share what they've done to celebrate the event. Winners will be recognized April 19. The deadline to enter is March 22. For more information about contest rules, click here.

13 Kentucky schools, 11 in Perry County, receive funds and other help to get more kids eating breakfast

Thirteen Kentucky schools will receive money and other help to get more children eating breakfast at school, an undertaking funded by Kellogg's cereal company and Action for Healthy Kids. The goal is to serve 1 million more breakfasts nationwide to kids in need this school year. (Photo taken at Perry County Central High School by Larry Robinson)

Perry County's 11 schools, Bath County's Owingsville Elementary and Bellevue Independent's Grandview Elementary were among 95 schools from 26 states chosen. More than 65,000 students attend the schools, with 76 percent qualifying for free and reduced meals and 76 percent opting to eat school lunch. However, only 36 percent of those children eat breakfast at school.

In Perry County's 11 schools, which got $12,000, the funds will be used to develop a "Grab and Go" breakfast option, allowing students to eat outside of the cafeteria if they choose.

The 2010 School Breakfast Scorecard from the Food Research and Action Center showed 99 percent of Kentucky schools participated in the National School Breakfast Program in the 2009-10 school year. About 58 percent of low-income children who participated in the program also ate breakfast at school, ranking Kentucky sixth in the nation for the double enrollment. "However, if Kentucky schools boosted participation to serve 60 low-income children breakfast for every 100 low-income kids served lunch, nearly 9,000 more children would be eating a healthy school breakfast every day," says a press release by Kentucky Action for Healthy Kids.